1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image forming method, and more particularly to an image forming method carried out using in a high-speed process an electrophotographic photosensitive member containing a specific material.
2. Related Background Art
Electrophotographic photosensitive members using organic photoconductive materials have such advantages that they have a very high productivity; as compared with ones using inorganic materials, material design can be readily made so that sensitivity regions can be controlled with ease; and they can be relatively inexpensive. Thus, they have been studied in a wide range. In particular, most electrophotographic photosensitive members having a charge generation layer containing what is called a charge-generating material such as an organic photoconductive dye or pigment and a charge transport layer containing a charge-transporting material exhibit good performances also in respect of sensitivity and durability (running performance) that have been considered disadvantageous in conventional electrophotographic photosensitive members, and have been put into practical use.
In recent years, among charge-generating materials, oxytitanium phthalocyanine (hereinafter also "TiOPc") has attracted notice. The TiOPc has a very high sensitivity to light with a long wavelength of around 600 to 800 nm, and hence is very useful as a charge-generating material used in electrophotographic photosensitive members for electrophotographic printers or digital copying machines using LED or semiconductor laser as light sources.
Meanwhile, electrophotographic apparatus are sought to be made to have a higher image quality, a higher speed and a higher running performance.
However, although the electrophotographic photosensitive members employing TiOPc have a high sensitivity, they have caused fog, black lines, uneven density and so forth in the images obtained when used in a high-speed process.